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☆ Three investors on how to protect your portfolio
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-16 | by ( Krystal Hur | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

New York CNN —Wall Street has been hit with a barrage of complex signals about the economy’s health over the past month. From banking turmoil to weakening jobs data to slowing inflation, and now the start of earnings season, investors have remained largely resilient. So, how should investors protect their portfolios? Investors say there isn’t one asset that Wall Street should pile all their bets on, but there are fundamentals that should underlie their investment strategies. Doug Fincher, portfolio manager at Ionic Capital Management, says investors should brace their portfolios against inflation.

☆ Analysis: Debt crunch looms for weaker economies with a wall of bond maturities ahead
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-10 | by ( Jorgelina Do Rosario | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

"A more prolonged period without market access would be of more concern for the lower-rated tiers of the emerging markets sovereign universe," said James Wilson, EM sovereign strategist for ING. Tapping international debt markets hasn't been a problem across the board for emerging economies. The JPMorgan's emerging markets bond index (EMBI) for high yield debt is at 900 basis points over U.S. Treasuries, and has largely remained over 800 bps since the beginning of last year. The Russia conflict and then the Fed hiking cycle led to higher spreads for a much longer period," said Gregory Smith, emerging markets fund manager at London-based M&G Investment. A weaker U.S. dollar should help countries to tap international markets in the medium term, but recent data fueled jitters that restrictive central bank policies could push the global economy into recession.

[1/5] A woman works inside a cannabis shop, at Khaosan Road, one of the favourite tourist spots in Bangkok, Thailand, March 29, 2023. Thousands of cannabis shops and businesses have sprung up, especially in Bangkok and tourist spots, since Thailand became the first Southeast Asian country to decriminalise the drug. A deluge of marijuana smuggled in from abroad has swamped Thailand, driving down wholesale prices and hurting growers, the industry members said. He did not comment on the scale of smuggled cannabis in the market or its impact on farmers. "A lot of cannabis that's coming in from the U.S. is going to dispensaries in Bangkok or Phuket or Pattaya," she said.

Uwe Oppitz of Rhenus Ports, who speaks for Energy Hub Port Wilhelmshaven, said that Wintershall Dea (WINT.UL) (BASFn.DE), Uniper (UN01.DE) and Tree Energy Solutions (TES) plan to spend a total of more than 5 billion euros at Wilhelmshaven. Energy Hub Port Wilhelmshaven comprises 30 companies, which include E.ON (EONGn.DE), RWE (RWEG.DE) and Orsted (ORSTED.CO), as well as Wilhelmshaven's home state of Lower Saxony. "Wintershall Dea plans to invest around 1 billion euros in the Wilhelmshaven site together with its partners," it said. And steelmaker Salzgitter (SZGG.DE) has already struck a deal with Uniper to receive green hydrogen for its steel mill processes, replacing essential fossil-fuel produced hydrogen. "We don't want to push green hydrogen to the side.

[1/3] Las Vegas Grand Prix, Inc. CEO Renee Wilm and Terry Miller of Miller Project Management give a tour of the Las Vegas Grand Prix paddock construction site, in Paradise, Nevada, U.S., March 3, 2023. "We think this is going to the biggest sports and entertainment event of the year," Renee Wilm, the CEO of the Las Vegas Grand Prix, told Reuters. "There is no better way for Las Vegas to draw the attention of our international customers than through Formula One," Steve Hill, CEO of Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, told Reuters. JUST THE BEGINNINGAnd the Las Vegas sports bonanza won't stop at the F1 finish line. Reporting by Rory Carroll in Las Vegas Editing by Christian RadnedgeOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Here's how Jim Cramer thinks the banking crisis will impact the consumer
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-03 | by ( Rohan Goswami | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

While Federal Reserve interest rate hikes may have slowed, the economic downturn they could have brought on is still possible, CNBC's Jim Cramer said on "Mad Money" on Monday. That's because the banking crisis that began with Silicon Valley Bank could very well "hasten the downturn that never seemed able to get off the ground," Cramer said. Rather, it'll show up in how consumers and small businesses alike are able to obtain credit, he said. And for travelers, it might mean Yellowstone instead of a bonanza overseas trip, Cramer said. But the consumer is most likely to feel the sting at home, at the dealership and when they're planning their vacations, he said.

☆ Oil Sputters as Traders Weigh Bank Fears Against China Hopes
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-31 | by ( David Uberti | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

The drop in oil prices is at odds with bullish projections at the beginning of the year. Wall Street projected an oil bonanza this year. Russia has continued pumping out petroleum despite Western sanctions. The U.S. market has remained awash in crude after the conclusion of the Biden administration’s emergency release of oil reserves. And a Chinese rebound that underpinned some analysts’ predictions of a commodity boom has yet to juice global demand.

[1/3] View of the "Rust" movie set at Bonanza Creek Ranch near Santa Fe, New Mexico, U.S., January 20, 2023. REUTERS/Drone BaseMarch 31 (Reuters) - A Santa Fe judge on Friday was to consider a plea deal that could bring the first conviction for the 2021 shooting death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins during filming of the Western movie "Rust" in New Mexico. Santa Fe District Court Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer was to preside over a virtual hearing in Halls' case scheduled for noon ET on Friday. As first assistant director, Halls was responsible for set safety on "Rust." Armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, who was responsible for firearms safety and training, will enter the same plea, according to her lawyer.

☆ New Shell CEO Faces Big Dilemma: Should the Company Pump More Oil?
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-28 | by ( Jenny Strasburg | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

HOUSTON— Wael Sawan knows he is about to make some people very unhappy. The new chief executive of Shell PLC is in the midst of crafting his business plan for the London-based energy giant, including whether to increase oil production. Doing so would please many investors looking to build on last year’s oil-and-gas bonanza, which produced record annual earnings for Shell.

☆ Crowds swarm Art Basel Hong Kong as galleries report sales bonanza
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/3] An installation titled "Calligraphic Wig" by Daniel Knorr is displayed at Art Basel in Hong Kong, China, March 23, 2023. Art Basel Hong Kong is one of the first big events the city has held since dropping its COVID-19 mask mandate this month. City authorities are welcoming the art fair as they try to reinvigorate the economy and promote Hong Kong as a vibrant cultural hub. Teresa Choi, a visitor from Macau, said Hong Kong was much busier than during COVID times. "Hong Kong has always been the international financial hub for Asia ... Travellers are regaining their confidence about Hong Kong and the economy and want to come."

☆ Accounts to buy bonds from the government jumped fivefold as yields boomed
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-16 | by ( Darla Mercado | Cfp | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

In 2022, savers created 3.6 million accounts at TreasuryDirect.gov, a website where investors can buy a range of savings bonds and Treasury securities from the U.S. government. That's up about fivefold from 2021, when investors opened 689,369 accounts on the site. I bondsFirst, savers turned toward Series I savings bonds, an inflation-protected and largely risk-free asset that's issued by the federal government. The rate on these bonds has two components: a fixed rate of interest and a rate that varies based on inflation. You can buy up to $5,000 in paper I bonds using your tax refund.

Many of the arrivals abandoned plans to seek asylum in the United States, deterred by long processing times and restrictive definitions for asylum, according to aid officials and interviews with asylum seekers. "We want to help asylum seekers stabilize their lives whether in New York City or elsewhere." REUTERS/Christinne Muschi Acquire Licensing RightsThe Quebec government has said the increase in asylum seekers is straining its capacity to house people and provide basic services. The federal government said it has relocated more than 5,500 asylum seekers to other provinces since June, the first time it has done so. Immigration experts said closing off the border to asylum seekers could push migrants to take even riskier routes.

Persons: Zulema Diaz, Maryangel Diaz, Carlos Osorio, Diaz, Justin Trudeau, Joe Biden, Sean Fraser, Alejandro Mayorkas, Trudeau, Biden, Zulema, Eric Adams, Kate Smart, Fabien Levy, Smart, Ilze Thielmann, Raymond Theriault, Theriault, Christinne, Pierre, Luc Bouchard, You’re, Jamie Chai Yun Liew, Anna Mehler Paperny, Ted Hesson, Denny Thomas, Suzanne Goldenberg Organizations: REUTERS, New, . Homeland, Washington , D.C, Ottawa, New York City, Department of Homeless Services, U.S . Department of Homeland Security, Reuters Graphics Canada, United, Colombian, Immigration, Refugee Board, Canadian, Reuters, U.S, . Citizenship, Immigration Services, TLC, Border Patrol, University of Ottawa, Thomson Locations: U.S, Quebec, Niagara Falls , Ontario, Canada, CHAMPLAIN , New York, WASHINGTON, Peru, United States, New York City, Plattsburgh, Washington ,, New York State, New York, Haitian, Syracuse, El Paso, West Virginia, Niagara Falls, Guatemala, Champlain , New York, Montreal, Canada's province, Manitoba, Washington

[1/5] Asylum seekers board a bus after crossing into Canada from the U.S. in Champlain, New York, U.S., February 28, 2023. Many of the arrivals abandoned plans to seek asylum in the United States, deterred by long processing times and restrictive definitions for asylum, according to aid officials and interviews with asylum seekers. "We want to help asylum seekers stabilize their lives whether in New York City or elsewhere." The Quebec government has said the increase in asylum seekers is straining its capacity to house people and provide basic services. Immigration experts said closing off the border to asylum seekers could push migrants to take even riskier routes.

☆ Where Are They Now? Former Child Stars Are Rooting for Ke Huy Quan
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-08 | by ( John Jurgensen | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Former child star Ke Huy Quan is nominated for an Oscar for his role in ’Everything Everywhere All at Once.’Back in a different lifetime, he was Short Round and Data, two sidekick characters who lit up major 1980s movies and became icons of adventure for a generation of kids. Then, after the one-two bonanza of “Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom” and “The Goonies,” the actor Ke Huy Quan struggled to land more roles, a quandary familiar to former child stars. Today, members of the “where are they now” fraternity of acting are rooting for Mr. Quan, 51, as he competes for an Academy Award for his supporting role in “Everything Everywhere All at Once.”

[1/2] Traders work on the trading floor at the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in Manhattan, New York City, U.S., November 11, 2022. Stock sales reached $4.97 billion in the United States last week, the highest tally since the second week in 2022, according to data provider Dealogic. Globally, stock sales reached $12.3 billion, the most in more than 30 weeks. "Equity markets have regained some momentum and volatility has decreased, driving animal spirits on the buy side," said Santiago Gilfond, co-head of Americas equity capital markets at Credit Suisse Group AG (CSGN.S). A busy week for initial public offerings in early February offered some hope to stock market hopefuls, but advisors remain cautious as stocks sold off in recent weeks.

☆ China gives itself easy GDP homework
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-06 | by ( Pete Sweeney | Thomson Reuters | Asia Economics Editor Pete Sweeney Joined Reuters Breakingviews In Hong Kong In September Previously He Served As Reuters' Chief Correspondent For China Economy | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

HONG KONG, March 6 (Reuters Breakingviews) - China aims to grow GDP by “around 5%” in 2023, which might seem low given last year’s 3% marked the country’s weakest performance in decades. Chen Long of Plenum China notes that the annual work report, usually an important window into the economy and official priorities for the year ahead, dedicates only six pages to discussing the future, compared to 22 pages last year. That may be because Premier Li Keqiang, who gives the work report, is on his way out along with other reformers. By keeping goals conservative and methods vaguer than usual, the government makes it harder for newcomers to fail. The government is aiming for a 2023 budget deficit target of 3% of gross domestic product, according to the report, widening from a deficit goal of around 2.8% last year.

☆ Prosecutors in Alec Baldwin 'Rust' shooting case are getting heat over apparent missteps
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-06 | by ( Rebecca Picciotto | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +9 min

The charges stem from the October 2021 shooting death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins during the filming of independent film "Rust." She won the race in November but stayed on the "Rust" case. In September, Torraco donated $250 to Reeb's campaign, assuming that if Reeb won the legislative race, she would automatically recuse herself frocrat, andm the "Rust" case. Media circusThe case has received significant media attention, which has persisted due to Baldwin and the prosecutors' press communication. Beyond that, Heather Brewer, the DA's spokesperson specifically hired for the "Rust" case, has made several heated statements about Baldwin and his attorneys on behalf of the DA's office.

☆ BP CEO defends spending plans as climate protesters block entrance to London energy conference
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-28 | by ( Sam Meredith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Holding banners reading "Climate Criminals Enter Here" and "No New Oil," activists from climate action group Fossil Free London gathered outside the luxury hotel to protest BP's continued fossil fuel investment. "An energy system that works is one that provides energy that is secure and affordable as well as lower carbon — what's known as the energy trilemma," Looney said. "To solve it, action is clearly needed to accelerate the energy transition and at the same time, that transition has got to be orderly. We need to invest in the energy transition and — not or — we need to invest in today's energy system, which is predominantly an oil and gas system." The extraordinary scale of the oil and gas industry's earnings has renewed criticism and sparked calls for higher taxes.

☆ 'Business is very good, unfortunately': Arms fair spotlights bonanza year ahead for weapons companies
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-24 | by ( Natasha Turak | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

Mohammed Zarandah | Anadolu Agency | Getty ImagesFew things illustrate the health of the arms industry like a massive defense fair. Indeed, many countries are ramping up their defense spending to unprecedented levels. On top of that, U.S. military spending on Ukraine alone hit nearly $50 billion in the last year. China and Saudi Arabia also set respective records for their own governments' defense spending in 2022, despite inflation, giving no indications of slowing down. France's Caesar self-propelled guns, which have been highly effective in battle for the Ukrainian military, normally take two years to make; the government aims to cut that time in half.

☆ 'Rust' production company settles firearm charges with New Mexico safety officials
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-24 | by ( Rebecca Picciotto | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

"Our top priority has always been resuming production and completing this film so we can honor the life and work of Halyna Hutchins," said Melina Spadone, an attorney representing the "Rust" production company, in a statement. "Settling this case rather than litigating is how we can best move forward to achieve that goal." The producers are planning to continue filming "Rust" this spring and also announced that a documentary on Hutchins will begin production. Along with starring in the film, Baldwin is also a producer. Baldwin and the film's armorer, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, are facing charges of involuntary manslaughter in an ongoing criminal case.

Instead, despite reporting robust profits, banks' shares have broadly stumbled as they forecast margin pressure, suggesting intensifying competition for customers' deposits and mortage business to come. "It may be that we've seen the peak of margin," said William Chalmers, finance chief of Britain's biggest domestic bank Lloyds (LLOY.L) on Wednesday. Lenders say they have started to pass on higher rates to savers, adding that profitability is rebounding after years of low margins. Pressure to immediately increase the rates banks pay savers has been intensified by the digital offerings from U.S. entrants into the market such as JPMorgan and Goldman Sachs, executives at the top British lenders said. In contrast to floating rates, which broadly track the Bank of England benchmark, fixed mortgage rates have started to fall as competition intensifies.

☆ Rate jitters extend February flop for stocks
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-22 | by ( Naomi Rovnick | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

[1/3] The German share price index DAX graph is pictured at the stock exchange in Frankfurt, Germany, February 16, 2023. "The economic data has been much more resilient than we all thought (it would be) and we have to accept that." "A bear market rally driven by expectations that inflation would drop and interest rates would peak out may be over," said Trevor Greetham, head of multi-asset at Royal London Asset Management. "The big call this year will still be (a) recession," he added, as "interest rates go higher," in a move that would eventually spark "an earnings driven bear market (that) hasn't started yet." New Zealand's central bank also raised interest rates by 50 bps on Wednesday to a more than 14-year high of 4.75%, flagging more monetary tightening to come.

The London-headquartered bank (HSBA.L) said on Tuesday it would pay a special dividend of $0.21 per share, from the proceeds of the $10 billion sale of its Canada business. HSBC's conservative outlook echoed that of British rival NatWest (NWG.L), which warned last week that profit earned from rising interest rates may have peaked. HSBC said annual expected credit losses rose to $3.6 billion, more than the $3.2 billion analysts had estimated, due to rising inflation pressuring borrowers and lingering problems in China's property market. That matched the $17.5 billion average estimate of 22 analysts compiled by the bank. Meanwhile, HSBC said it still expects to complete the sale of its Russia business in first-half 2023, taking a $300 million loss.

But some analysts had expected HSBC to also raise its key performance target of reaching a return on tangible equity of at least 12% from this year onwards, a target the bank stuck to in its earnings report. Meanwhile, HSBC said it still expects to complete the sale of its Russia business in first-half 2023, taking a $300 million loss. So far this year, the shares have risen 20% versus a 7% rise in the FTSE index (.FTSE). HSBC said annual expected credit losses rose to $3.6 billion, more than the $3.2 billion analysts had estimated, due to rising inflation pressuring borrowers and lingering problems in China's property market. Despite the fourth-quarter surge, annual profit fell to $17.5 billion from $18.9 billion for 2021, due to an impairment of $2.4 billion related to the sale of its retail banking operations in France.

☆ Morning Bid: Too flashy?
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

A look at the day ahead in U.S. and global markets from Mike Dolan. If investors' big concern about the new year is that the U.S. economy is running too hot, then February's flash business surveys from around the world will do little to soothe nerves. U.S. markets return from Monday's Presidents Day holiday and the early readout on this month's factory and service sector activity tops the slate. Aside from Tuesday's business surveys, a reality check for U.S. retailers is due from Walmart and Home Depot's quarterly earnings - holding last month's red-hot retail numbers up to the light. In banking, HSBC (HSBA.L) rose 1.5% - bouncing back from early losses after announcing a surge in its quarterly profit.

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